Acts 11:19-26
Chapter 11
The Church at Antioch
Those who had been scattered because of the persecution over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, proclaiming the message but only to the Jews.However, some natives of Cyprus and Cyrene were among them and, when they came to Antioch, also spoke to the Greeks, sharing the good news of the Lord Jesus.
The hand of the Lord was with them, so many believed and turned to the Lord.
News of this reached the Church in Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the clear signs of God’s favor, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithfully committed to the Lord;
for he himself was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. As a result, large crowds came to know the Lord.
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul;
and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year, they gathered with the church and taught many people.
It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
Commentaries
The Church at Antioch.
Antioch, the third-most-important city in the empire after Rome and Alexandria, was a hub of diverse races and cultures, with more than half a million residents. The Hellenists who had fled there arrived and began to testify about Jesus. In Antioch, a sizable Christian community started to form with no previous ties to Judaism. Here, the narrator introduces two familiar figures: Barnabas and Paul. When the Church of Jerusalem, which holds the highest authority and leadership, learns about the new situation in Antioch, it responds by sending Barnabas as its representative and liaison. He then finds Paul to support him in his mission. They stayed there for a whole year, teaching the large group of new converts. The narrator’s enlightened view always sees the Holy Spirit as the true main character in spreading the Gospel, ensuring unity among the missionaries amid diversity. In Antioch, this group of believers was first called “Christians.” The Hebrew word “Messiah,” meaning anointed one, is translated into Greek as ‘Christos’ and into Latin as the adjective “christianos”—Christians, those who belong to Christ.